5.1-magnitude earthquake damages over 1,900 homes in Yunnan’s Qiaojia County

More than 1,900 homes were damaged and over 300 people were relocated by Wednesday noon after a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Qiaojia County in southwest China’s Yunnan Province on Monday (19/01/2026) evening.

The quake hit at 7:32 p.m. at a depth of 10km. Authorities reported no deaths, injuries, or building collapses. Local officials said the assessment and verification of earthquake-related losses have largely been completed.

Cao Shanyou, deputy head of Qiaojia County, said the earthquake damaged 1,907 residential houses and eight school buildings, with most of the damage limited to minor cracks. Across the county, officials recorded 466 instances of slope collapses and falling rocks along roads, as well as damage to road surfaces at 483 locations.

In addition, 19 mountain fissures were discovered, though none threaten residential safety or disrupt public transportation. The quake also affected 544 water conservancy facilities, 270 water cellars or production pools, and 178 sections of the water supply pipeline network.

Cao noted that 334 residents from 147 households have been safely relocated and provided with necessities such as food, drinking water, heating, and shelter. He added that recovery and reconstruction work will begin next.

Following the earthquake, the China Earthquake Administration launched a Level-III emergency response and sent teams to the affected area to assist with relief efforts. China’s emergency response system has four levels, with Level I representing the highest level of severity.